Paula Jean Swearengin on Crime

End mandatory minimum sentencing

Judicial discretion has eroded due to the politicization of law enforcement. Loss of discretion means that judges are compelled to deliver sentences that are often harsher than the crime committed. If discretion is given back to the courts,
judges may have greater latitude in delivering a sentence that gives an individual in the system a chance to get his or her life back on track, rather than waste away in prison for years.